When I was very young my father worked as a barber and had a succession of independent contractors who would set up in a corner of his shop and hit whoever wanted it while they were getting cut.

Since this was Texas most of them were middle aged black men (they were colored gentlemen back then) and they could put a high gloss on your toes and heels in short order usually accompanied by some of the most entertaining buffing cloth work I've ever seen; very rhythmic and unique to each person.

Watching them and generally being a nuisance I learned the basics and a stint in the Air Force taught me the finer points so I do my own and only rarely get shined elsewhere. I honestly don't think there is an actual dedicated shoe shine stand in my entire city so it's a good thing I know how!

In NYC almost every shoe shine stand charges $3 for the shine itself, and $2 is a typical tip.

This is for sitting in the chair and getting your shoes quickly spit-shined (no actual spit)/ bulled. If you drop off a pair of shoes at a cobbler or shoe repair shop they may charge a bit more.

Unless you have a good deal of polish, wax and skill you won't be able to achieve the high-gloss shine these guys can achieve, they look better than new (and they do it in a few minutes tops, so it's on with the commute).